The Mighty Saturn V

This month Lego released their version of the Saturn V rocket that carried humanity to the Moon, and those kits quickly became backordered. Thankfully, I was able to get my hands on one before they became scarce (otherwise I would not have been a very happy man). Building the kit, pictured below, motivated me to do a quick write up on the basics of the Saturn V for all of you.

Lego's version of the Saturn V (Image Credit: Lego)

Wernher von Braun, the Saturn V’s architect, created the vehicle to meet the needs of the lunar orbit rendezvous (LOR) technique employed by NASA for the Apollo program. To complete a mission using LOR, a new rocket would have to be designed to far exceed the capabilities of von Braun’s previous Saturn rockets, which were much smaller except for later Nova rocket concepts. At one point, NASA officials considered launching several smaller Saturn boosters to assemble a lunar landing spacecraft. Direct ascent lunar mission options were also considered early in NASA's time, but that proposal had many difficulties. These proposals were ultimately disregarded in favor of the LOR approach, which led to the creation of the Saturn V program in January 1962.

Launching for the first time in November 1967 with the mission of Apollo 4, the rocket famously shook Walter Cronkite’s temporary studio so much ceiling tiles fell (video link at the end). All crewed Apollo missions, minus Apollo 7, launched on the massive rocket. Thus allowing the Saturn V to be etched in history.  Sadly, the Saturn V’s final launch was the Skylab 1 mission in 1973—ending years of successful launches.

Apollo 4 launch in November 1967. (Photo Credit: NASA)

The Saturn V currently holds the title of most powerful rocket ever flown, and it remains the only rocket to carry human beings beyond low Earth orbit. Composed of three stages and the Apollo spacecraft hardware, the massive machine stood 363 feet tall. For reference, the Statue of Liberty stands at 305 feet.

During a launch, the first stage, the S-IC, produced 7.5 million pounds of thrust using five F-1 engines. That stage lasted until 2 minutes and 42 seconds after launch when explosive bolts fire and the stage falls into the Atlantic Ocean. Shortly after first stage shutdown, the second stage, the S-II, fires five J-2 rocket engines to push the payload closer to low Earth orbit. A bit after nine minutes the second stage separates, and the third stage, the S-IVB, ignites to make the final push into orbit. The S-IVB fires for over two minutes (2 minutes and 30 seconds) and puts the spacecraft(s) into a parking orbit. At this point the crew would check out the spacecraft before committing to a trans-lunar injection—the S-IVB engine burn maneuver that takes the crew towards the Moon. Once the trans-lunar injection burn is complete, the command/service module separates from the third stage to dock and extract the lunar module. With a job well done, the S-IVB heads into space or is directed to crash into the Moon.

Whenher von Braun standing next to Saturn V first stage engines. (Photo Credit: NASA)

If launching a rocket that weighed over 6 million pounds at liftoff and separating stages to ensure a lunar voyage sounds damn difficult, you are correct. Considering that 1960s technology was employed to make this happen, the task seems even greater given the end of the decade deadline set by President Kennedy. The Saturn V was not only a showcase in our engineering and technology at the time, but a testament to the ability of people to create complex machines to enable our pursuits. I would give anything to have seen more Saturn V rockets built for additional lunar missions. My imagination runs wild with what upgrades could have been made to the Saturn V for voyages to Venus or Mars. Having said that, we can hope the Space Launch System now being built by NASA will continue the legacy of the mighty Saturn V in our lifetimes.

AND as promised, the Walter Cronkite Apollo 4 liftoff video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uoVfZpx5dY

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Sources Used:

Apollo 8: The NASA Mission Reports by Robert Godwin

https://www.space.com/18422-apollo-saturn-v-moon-rocket-nasa-infographic.html

https://history.msfc.nasa.gov/saturn_apollo/documents/Saturn_V.pdf

The Greatest Astronaut

The month of April is busy for those interested in space history. Not only did the first spaceflight in human history occur in this month, but the first launch of the space shuttle also lifted off. Additionally, the Apollo 13 accident and the Apollo 16 Moon landing occurred. Even with all of that history, this month clearly belongs to one astronaut, and he also happens to be the greatest in history. Well, according to me. 

John W. Young (I didn't leave you hanging for long) is the ultimate American astronaut, and he practically owns the month of April in space history. Two of his six missions, Apollo 16 and STS-1, launched during April. Although these are his most famous missions, his legacy extends far beyond those flights.

John Young's 1986 NASA portrait. (Credit: NASA)

Captain Young graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1952 earning a degree in aeronautical engineering with highest honors. After graduation, he entered the U.S. Navy and eventually began flight training. By 1959, he had graduated from the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School, which allowed him to test the F-8 Crusader and the F-4 Phantom. Young set time-to-climb records in the Phantom before entering NASA.

In 1962, John Young was selected as an astronaut. Three years later Young joined Gus Grissom for the Gemini 3 mission, which was to test the crewed Gemini capsule in space. Later in the Gemini program, Young would become the Commander of Gemini 10 with pilot Mike Collins. This mission tested rendezvous and docking procedures along with an EVA by his pilot. These missions honed the spaceflight skills he would need during Project Apollo and beyond.

John Young in the Gemini flight suit. (Credit: NASA)

John Young’s first Apollo mission came with the lunar landing dress rehearsal of Apollo 10. For this important test, Captain Young served as the command module pilot while Tom Stafford and Gene Cernan flew the lunar module around the Moon. Years later, his chance to land on the Moon would come during his command of Apollo 16. Ken Mattingly and Charlie Duke would join him, with Duke helping land the Lunar Module Orion. Their mission explored the Descartes Highlands, where the lunar explorers gathered over 200 pounds of rocks and drove over 16 miles with a lunar rover. Nearly two years after returning from the Moon, Young became the Chief of the Astronaut Office—serving in that position until 1987.

Young's famous flag salute on Apollo 16. (Credit: NASA)

However, going into administrative duties didn’t ground Young. In 1981, he took command of the world’s greatest test flight with STS-1. He flew Space Shuttle Columbia along with Pilot Bob Crippen to a picture-perfect landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Flying Columbia on that very first mission was one of the riskiest flights in spaceflight history because the vehicle had not been partially tested in space before a crew was placed aboard. John Young’s legendary career would come to a close with STS-9—his sixth spaceflight. Space would put Young to the test on that mission. Just before reentry, two general purpose computers on Columbia failed. After that problem was resolved, two auxiliary power units caught fire during landing. With all of these issues, Young still guided Columbia home.

Young would go on to serve in administrative roles at NASA during the 1990s before retiring in 2004. Throughout Captain Young’s career he pushed the boundaries of space exploration proving his skills as a commander and pilot time after time. His famous Southern drawl and quiet demeanor served as a cornerstone for the NASA Astronaut Office through many years. John Young has and will continue to inspire countless others to continue his legacy of exploration to objects far beyond the Moon. He may not be a household name in America or around the world like Neil Armstrong or John Glenn—but he should be.  

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Sources:

https://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/young.html

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-9.html

“Into the Black: The Extraordinary Untold Story of the First Flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia and the Astronauts Who Flew Her.” By Rowland White 

Half Are Gone

With the death of Gene Cernan last week, there are only six people alive that walked on the Moon—half are gone. Granted, we all know these heroes are not immortal, but each death from this exclusive group brings us closer to a day without any of them. The heroes of the Apollo era are slipping away from us, and it is our responsibility to soak up every drop of wisdom the remaining moonwalkers (they made it famous long before Michael Jackson) can share with humanity.

NASA’s Apollo Program made seven trips to the Moon intended for a landing, and six of them were successful. Apollo 13 standing as the now infamous successful failure.  There were more missions planned, but budget cuts forced NASA to cancel some flights. Twelve men had the distinct honor of kicking up lunar dust and spending time on another world. These men are symbols of a project that challenged an entire nation to accomplish something that was once considered science fiction. Astronauts in general, and the moonwalkers in particular, were considered the heroes of their day. Many Apollo astronauts never walked on the Moon because they were in lunar orbit or on Earth, but their work should be celebrated as well. As the world searches for the wisdom of true visionaries, the remaining Apollo astronauts—especially the moonwalkers—stand as an ultimate reminder of humanity’s best qualities.  

I do not know when humanity will travel back to the Moon, or push the boundaries of knowledge to explore another world. Yet, I am confident that we will. Until then, we must learn everything we can from the brave adventurers that became our first ambassadors to another heavenly body. Buzz Aldrin, Alan Bean, Dave Scott, John Young, Charles Duke, and Harrison Schmitt can continue to share the vision of Apollo—and we should listen.   

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